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    Home

    Ulli Theeyal Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 6, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Ulli theeyal is a spicy Kerala style shallot curry made with roasted coconut and spices. This curry is also known as onion theeyal, roasted coconut curry which is very popular in Kerala and many parts of South India. You can enjoy theeyal with hot rice, thoran and Avial. It can be enjoyed with idli or dosa. In this blog post learn how to make authentic ulli theeyal with step by step pictures and video. 

    ulli theeyal recipe

    Ulli theeyal

    Amma makes theeyal at least once in a week. But the taste of it varies each time she makes it. It depends on the ingredient or vegetable which she puts in. Sometimes amma makes it with yam,  drumstick or pumpkin. She had even made theeyal only with garlic, if she has no vegetable on hand.

    Jump to:
    • What is Theeyal?
    • About Ulli theeyal recipe
    • Ulli Theeyal Ingredients 
    • Kerala Style Theeyal Tips & Hacks
    • How to Make Ulli Theeyal (Stepwise Pictures)
    • Expert tips
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    To accompany this dish, she makes another gravy which we call as Urundai Kulambu. She makes small dumplings out of ground green gram dal with some spices and simmers that in a mild coconut gravy. I should tell you this, it tasted so awesome with this spicy theeyal. My mouth is watering when thinking about this dish. She also makes some drumstick leaves thoran to accompany theeyal. It is one of my childhood nostalgic combo dish. 

    What is Theeyal?

    Theeyal is a traditional South Indian dish from the Indian state of Kerala. It has a curry like texture and is made with spices such as roasted coconut, coriander seeds, dried red chilli, and fenugreek. All spices are roasted and ground into a paste and cooked with vegetables in tamarind water. It is cooked low and slow until the oil from the roasted coconut floats on top. This is the iconic look of theeyal. 

    About Ulli theeyal recipe

    In Malayalam, ulli refers to small onions/shallots/sambar onion. Theeyal means roasted curry dish. The main ingredient in making theeyal is roasted coconut. Fresh coconut is roasted until dark brown in colour and flavoured with chillies, coriander, curry leaves. 

    Theeyal usually made with any vegetables of choice including pumpkin, onion, drumstick, yam, sambar onion, garlic or even fish can be used. The curry has tamarind and spices added which gives a tangy yet spicy taste to it. 

    Amma used to take many shortcuts when making theeyal. Whenever she gets sometime on hand, may be weekends. She roast grated coconut until golden brown and allow them to cool down and store in freezer. This way she can make theeyal whenever she wants. Because the most time consuming part in making theeyal is toasting the coconut. 

    In the tips section of the recipe post, I have shared my hacks for making best Kerala style theeyal recipe. Make sure to check them out. Once it is made, you can enjoy with variety of dishes. It can be served with rice and any side dish like thoran, avial, pachadi or poriyal.

    Similar theeyal recipes

    Kadala theeyal

    Poosanikai theeyal

    Payaru theeyal

    Ulli Theeyal Ingredients 

    ingredients for making ulli theeyal

    Shallots - Shallots also known as sambar onion are a little sweeter than regular onions and have a more subtle flavor. Small onions are left whole in the curry which gives a unique taste and texture. 

    Coconut - Coconut is a key ingredient in the dish, and it is added by roasting and grinding it with other spices like dried red chilli, Coriander seeds, and tamarind.

    Dry Red Chilli - dry red chillies is added when roasting coconut. You can use whole dry red chillies or powdered chillies. 

    Curry leaves - make sure you use fresh curry leaves when roasting coconut as well as when making curry. 

    Tamarind - freshly squeezed tamarind is added for taste.

    Coconut oil - like all Kerala dishes, make sure to cook this in coconut oil for flavour. 

    ulli theeyal aka kerala onion curry

    Kerala Style Theeyal Tips & Hacks

    Grind coconut before roasting - this is a hack which I follow for even roasting. Grated coconut tends to be uneven in texture which may result in uneven roasting. So I take the grated coconut in a blender and coarsely grind them. This makes them even and when roasting, it gives even colour. 

    Roast Coconut in Bulk - If you are planning to make theeyal, take double or triple the quantity of coconut in a kadai. Roast them low and slow until golden brown. Now you can store this in fridge or freezer for many months. 

    Use ground spices - if you are planning to roast coconut and store in freezer. I recommend you to use powdered spices when grinding coconut.

    Cook low and slow - make sure to cook the curry low and slow until oil floats on top. This helps enhance the taste of the dish. 

    How to Make Ulli Theeyal (Stepwise Pictures)

    Ingredients for Roasting

    1)Take all your ingredients required for making coconut paste.

    ingredients for coconut masala for making ulli theeyal

    Roasting Coconut

    2)I am using a clay pot for making this curry. you can use any cooking pot of your choice. Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in the pan. Add in freshly grated coconut. Roast for 2 to 3 minutes before adding in the spices.

    Pro Tip: this is a hack which I follow for even roasting. Grated coconut tends to be uneven in texture which may result in uneven roasting. So I take the grated coconut in a blender and coarsely grind them. This makes them even and when roasting, it gives even colour. 

    take coconut in a pan

    3)Add in peeled shallots, dry red chillies, coriander seeds and curry leaves.

    add whole spices to coconut

    4)Roast this on low medium heat till the coconut gets golden in colour.

    roast spices with coconut

    5)Keep roasting till it gets dark golden in colour.

    cook coconut till golden

    Making Coconut Masala

    6)Take the roasted coconut along with the spices in a blender.

    take roasted coconut in a blender

    7)Add in tamarind. You can add in tamarind paste as well.

    add tamarind to coconut

    8)Add water and grind to a smooth paste. This is your coconut masala, set this aside till use.

    grind coconut to paste for making ulli theeyal

    Ingredients for ulli curry

    9)Now get your ingredients for making ulli curry ready.

    ingredients for ulli curry

    10)Peel shallots and cut in half. You can leave them whole if you prefer that way.

    peeled shallots and garlic

    Making Ulli Curry

    11)Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add in shallots and garlic. Saute this for 2 minutes or so.

    saute onion and garlic in coconut oil

    12)Cook that till light golden in colour.

    cook onions for few minutes

    13)Now add in the coconut masala.

    add coconut paste

    14)Pour water to form the gravy.

    add water for making ulli theeyal

    15)Season with salt. Mix salt really well in the curry. At this point taste the curry and check for tamarind and salt quantity. You can add more if needed.

    season with salt for making ulli theeyal

    16)Bring this to a full boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce the flame to very low (simmer) and cook covered until a layer of oil floats on top.

    bring curry to boil

    17)This is when you know your ulli curry is ready. Take it off the heat.

    simmer ulli theeyal until oil floats on top

    Make Tempering

    18)Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add in fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Let them sizzle. Fenugreek seeds is optional, you can skip that if you prefer.

    temper curry leaves in coconut oil

    19)Pour this into the ulli curry and mix well.

    pour curry leaves over ulli curry

    20)Ulli curry is ready to serve. Enjoy with rice.

    mix curry leaves with ulli curry

    Expert tips

    • Grated coconut tends to be uneven in texture which may result in uneven roasting. So I take the grated coconut in a blender and coarsely grind them. This makes them even and when roasting, it gives even colour.
    • Take care when roasting coconut. Make sure to roast them on low to medium heat till golden. 
    • Use small onions or shallots and leave them whole which adds sweetness and look. 
    • Make sure to use coconut oil which adds taste to the curry. 
    • You can use any vegetables like drumstick, pumpkin, yam when making theeyal. 
    • Cook theeyal on low heat till oil floats on top. 

    Serving and storage

    Cooked theeyal can be stored in fridge For upto a week. Reheat before serving. 

    You can enjoy theeyal with hot rice, thoran and Avial. It can be enjoyed with idli or dosa too. 

    More Kerala Inspired Recipes

    • Arisi Payasam Recipe (Rice Kheer)
    • Mango Pachadi Recipe
    • Arisi Thengai Payasam Recipe
    • Raw Mango Pachadi Recipe
    • Ugadi Pachadi Recipe
    • Chakka Pradhaman Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Ulli Theeyal | Kerala Style Ulli Theeyal Recipe

    Ulli theeyal is a spicy Kerala style shallot curry made with roasted coconut and spices. This curry is also known as onion theeyal, roasted coconut curry which is very popular in Kerala and many parts of South India. You can enjoy theeyal with hot rice, thoran and Avial. It can be enjoyed with idli or dosa. In this blog post learn how to make authentic ulli theeyal with step by step pictures and video. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 150kcal

    Ingredients

    For Roasting & Grinding

    • 5 no Shallots | Sambar Onion peeled
    • 1 cup Fresh Coconut grated
    • 2 sprig Curry leaves
    • 3 tbsp Coriander seeds
    • 5 no Dry Red Chillies
    • 1 tsp Coconut Oil

    For Making Curry

    • 20 no Shallots peeled and halved
    • 1 lemon size Tamarind
    • 10 cloves Garlic peeled
    • 3 tbsp Coconut Oil
    • Salt to taste

    For Tempering

    • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
    • 2 sprig Curry leaves

    Instructions

    • Add 1 tsp of oil in a kadai and add in coconut and start roasting it till it gets light golden. Now add in red chilli, coriander seeds, curry leaves, shallots and roast till everything turns into dark brown in colour. Allow this to cool. Now take this in a blender and add in tamarind and blend it to a fine paste by adding some water.
    • Heat oil in a kadai and add in shallots and garlic. Saute this for 2 minutes. Now add in the ground masala and mix well. Pour in some water and season with salt. Bring this to boil and simmer for 15-20 mins until oil floats on top.
    • Heat coconut oil in a small pan. Add in curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Pour this over the curry and mix well. Serve this over a bed of hot rice and any side dish.

    Notes

    • Grated coconut tends to be uneven in texture which may result in uneven roasting. So I take the grated coconut in a blender and coarsely grind them. This makes them even and when roasting, it gives even colour.
    • Take care when roasting coconut. Make sure to roast them on low to medium heat till golden. 
    • Use small onions or shallots and leave them whole which adds sweetness and look. 
    • Make sure to use coconut oil which adds taste to the curry. 
    • You can use any vegetables like drumstick, pumpkin, yam when making theeyal. 
    • Cook theeyal on low heat till oil floats on top. 

    Serving and storage

    Cooked theeyal can be stored in fridge For upto a week. Reheat before serving. 
    You can enjoy theeyal with hot rice, thoran and Avial. It can be enjoyed with idli or dosa too. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    • Puli kuzhambu Recipe
    • Mambazha Pulissery Recipe

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    Kappa Biryani Recipe »
    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. SavithaRaj's Spice Land

      at

      Very tempting and great presentation...

      Reply
    2. MyKitchen Flavors-BonAppetit!.

      at

      Luks Yumm and spicy.Luv it Dear.Nice clicks too.

      Reply
    3. Suja

      at

      Drool worthy theeyal..yum

      Reply
    4. Poornima Nair

      at

      Love thiyal...looks delicious!

      Reply
    5. Torviewtoronto

      at

      this looks delicious following you on google friends and facebook
      keep in touch
      regards Akheela

      Reply
    6. Yummy Team

      at

      Yummy ulli theeyal, perfect with rice..Am drooling here..

      Reply
    7. Manju

      at

      Really nice post.
      After I went thru ur pictorial I felt like I also made it , just by reading. 🙂

      Regards, manju

      Reply
    8. Santosh Bangar

      at

      spicy curry is mouthwatering

      Reply
    9. sangee vijay

      at

      this looks so spicy and yummy...no doubt a drool worthy recipe..

      Reply
    10. Priya

      at

      Omg, mouthwatering here..

      Reply
    11. Dzoli

      at

      Even from schallots you make a tasty dish:) Great:)

      Reply
    12. Amina Khaleel

      at

      wow... gravy looks delicious...perfect for a cold day...

      Reply
    13. Chitra

      at

      love the deep browm color....just the way it should be...love it 🙂

      Reply
    14. Kalpana Sareesh

      at

      so good cant wait to try it..

      Reply
    15. Premalatha Aravindhan

      at

      wow very tempting recipe,luks so delicious...

      Reply
    16. Kadhyaa

      at

      never tasted thiyal before drooling over it..

      Reply
    17. Tina

      at

      my all time fav curry..perfect with curd nd hot rice...

      Reply
    18. Suhaina

      at

      wow...LOVE LOVvveeeE THIS to the core...My fav curry ever...waiting to see ur mom's other curry too...

      Reply
    19. Susan and Abraham

      at

      mouthwatering, regards susan of Chacko's Kitchen

      Reply
    20. Chandrani

      at

      Lovely rich colour mouthwatering curry.

      Reply
    21. Alpana

      at

      Awesome recipe......BTW what kind of Kadhai ( cooking utensil ) is this.....looks like an earthern one.....where can I find one like this?

      Reply
    22. Aarthi

      at

      Alpana...Thanks for your comment dear..And you are right it is earthernware...I found it in our near by super market.

      Reply
    23. expert contabil

      at

      This recipe sounds very good and i think it is delicious and it fits perfect with my taste. My opinion is that this isn`t a very hard recipe so i will try it very soon, thanks a lot for sharing.

      Reply
    24. anthony stemke

      at

      This looks wonderful, nice and spicy and a beautiful colour.
      Thank You.

      Reply
    25. julie

      at

      looks delicious n yummy!!!I love ulli theeyal a lot..

      Reply
    26. Balakrishna Saraswathy

      at

      Just love the way u prepare the dish..looks yummy simply yummy dear:)

      Reply
    27. soujanya

      at

      REally looks absolute delicious...luv it!!

      Reply
    28. Sumi

      at

      Wonderful recipe...mouthwatering, love all the clay pots and vessels you have used in all your recipes:)

      Reply
    29. Rekha

      at

      I tried this.. came out very welle.. yummy.....

      Reply
    30. Anonymous

      at

      Hey in nagercoil whre can find tis manchatti eatthware..I need to buy
      ..b

      Reply
    31. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousYou can get it in lynns

      Reply
    32. fathima

      at

      If we want to add any veggies, can we add the ground Masala once it is half cooked? Or when we can add that Masala?

      Reply
    33. Aarthi

      at

      @fathimaAdd veggies along with the ground masala

      Reply
    34. Tina Chahal

      at

      I am your fan Aarti. You are a great cook and your blog is awesome.

      Reply
    35. Romila Vincent

      at

      hai, ive tried a few of your recipes n they r just fantabulous. my kids just enjoy my cooking now. every day its mom what r u going to cook from yummy tummy. can you post a recipe of the typical nagercoil sambhar, which has about 11 vegetables. thanks and best wishes to you

      Reply
    36. Anonymous

      at

      Tamarind juice or tamarind put in mixie

      Reply
    37. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousI added tamarind.

      Reply
    38. Anonymous

      at

      Yummy yum...very delicious!!

      Reply
    39. Ajay

      at

      5 stars
      Great outcome....thanks

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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